Randall’s Ramblings, April 8, 2017

What crazy weather we’ve been having! On Thursday we had rain, hail, more rain, thunder, lightning, and even snow. It was a very light and fluffy snow, and because the temperature was above freezing it didn’t stick. Overnight, there was more of the white stuff, about two inches but within the space of a couple of hours, most of it melted away.

Brilliant sunshine followed, at least for a few hours. Then the heavens darkened to the point I needed to turn on lights. A white-out took over, so thick I could see the water’s edge. Cell coverage terminated as the snowfall thickened. Before long, this also passed.

Now we’re getting plenty of sunshine but temperatures below average for this time of year. At least most of the snow has disappeared once again. I hope that’s it for the season. I’m waiting to get outside and begin cleaning up from the winter. Branches to pick up, grass to rake, trees to trim, and flower beds to prepare. Hurry up, spring!

My Work in Progress

I’m about two thirds through my first edit of Dangerous Alliance. Won’t be long before I’ll be printing the entire manuscript and going word by word, checking for punctuation, grammar, word usage, etc. I did this with The Kurdish Connection and was pleased with the outcome. Since it helped, this is now part of my editing routine.

Work also continue, albeit at a slow pace, on chapter ten of A Cartel’s Revenge. I hope to post the chapter in the next week or so. I read through chapter four of Carnage in Singapore, the follow-on novel to Dangerous Alliance. Although I didn’t add any words, I known where the chapter is going.

Here’s another snippet from New World Revolution:

Tobias sighed, his shoulders drooping. “William, his lordship is demanding full payment. Parliament keeps raising his due and he’s suffering too. He’s been in arrears since the 1765 crop failure, and now this. I must have all of it, or I will be forced to evict tenants so some of the land can be sold.”

“I’m sorry, Master Sutton. It’s been so difficult. What are we to do? I looked for work in Alnwick and Berwick-Upon-Tweed, but no one wants to hire a tenant farmer.”

Tobias’s expression softened. “There might be another way, William.” He released a pent-up sigh as he appeared to reach a decision. “Yesterday, I received a letter from my brother, Matthew, a tea merchant in Boston. He needs extra hands and asked if anyone I could vouch for their honesty and industry, would take a chance on a new life. He’ll pay the costs of your transport, but you’d be indentured for five years.”

***

Mary nodded from time to time, while Hannah stared wide-eyed as William explained the offer from Tobias. She gazed into his eyes and each of the children’s, before turning back to her husband.

“You are the head of the family. You and the Lord have always provided for us. Do what you believe is right.”

William bowed his head and prayed in silence. Lord, thank you for sending us this opportunity and for a biddable wife and children. We place our lives in your hands. Finished, he gazed at his family for a few moments. “We’re going to the New World.”

Perhaps more next time.

Books I’m Reading

I enjoy reading novels by authors who are forging their way with their works. Not long ago I finished reading Deception by Bill Ward. Although the first novel I’ve read by Bill, it definitely won’t be the last.

Deception, set in England, had everything I could ask for: mystery, intrigue, well-crafted characters, and a superb plot, guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. The CIA and MI6 are conspiring to change the thinking of the British public, while ISIS is planning to bring further terror to the streets of the country.

Our MC, Powell is caught in the middle as are his friends. Will he be able to extricate himself from the quagmire, save his friends, while helping to break the CIA-MI6 conspiracy and thwart ISIS terror attacks? With plenty of action scenes, this is a fast-paced read. If this is the genre you enjoy reading, you won’t be disappointed with Deception. I can’t wait to read more of Bill Ward’s novels!

Blogs/Author Pages/Writing Sites I’d Like to Share

I’ve expanded this section from being only about blogs that I follow but also introduce you to some new authors and a few writing sites.

Sideways Eight Series – Join author AJ Wallace as she spins the tales of Charley and Murphy, two FBI agents. Two novels have been published so far (Mindfield andDevil’s Door), with two more to follow. Well worth the read!

MD Neu – writer and published author, Follow MD’s writing journey and check out his interviews with other authors. He’s also released The Calling, an excellent sci-fi story, plus several others.

B. Douglas Slack – A newly published author, Mr. Slack provides an interesting style as he brings us a romance spanning the globe–an American man and a Japanese woman. Follow their story in You Only Love Twice.

Room With Books – Check out the book reviews and more by author Patricia S. Green.

That brings us to a close for another week. Hope you’ve found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing and reading. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading.